Born in Seoul, South Korea, on February 15, 1978, pianist and composer Lee Ru-ma is better known by his stage name Yiruma. After taking up the piano at the age of five, he continued his musical studies in England, where his family settled in 1988. After graduating from the Purcell School in Bushey, Hertfordshire, in 1997 and King's College London in 2000, Yiruma returned to his native country to embark on a career as a composer of classical crossover music. His first albums of covers and originals were released on the Stomp Music label: Love Scene and First Love (2001), which included the themes "May Be" and "River Flows in You" (ranked No. 24 in South Korea and several European countries), were followed by From the Yellow Room (2003), including his famous original "Kiss the Rain", then Poemusic (2005) and H.I.S. Monologue (2006). On his return from military service, Yiruma collaborated with various Korean artists, recording the albums Stay in Memory (2012), Blind Film (2013) and Piano (2015), distributed by Sony Music and separated by numerous compilations, including his ten-year anniversary album: The Best: Reminiscent 10th Anniversary (2011). The pianist then worked for Mind Tailor Music, releasing the albums Frame (2017) and Solo (2021), as well as the compilation The Rewritten Memories (2021). In trouble with his former label, Stomp Music, against which he fought two lawsuits, the pianist, who is a favorite on listening platforms around the world, never stopped composing, and in 2023 unveiled the track "Non è la fine", taken from the album Sound of Winter (2024).
